Jump Then Fall
by JustEmilyy95
Summary: After hearing about the infamous waterfall scene in Goblet of Fire, I decided to write my own version of it. This is my very first story, so cut me some slack. It'll probably be a two or three- shot.


Jump Then Fall

Harry hadn't been aware that there was a waterfall near Hogwarts untill he needed to get away. With no destination in his mind, his feet found an abandoned walking path on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. He didn't really care where he went to get away, but with the graveyard scenes still fresh in his mind and the impounding guilt he felt for Cedric's death, he unconsiously followed the trail.

_"Bow to death."_

Harry shuddered. His mind was torturing with the sound of Voldemort's taunts from that night. All Harry wanted was to forget everything that happened, to be numb for just a little while, but his mind just kept tormenting him. No matter how many times he washed his face, he could still feel Voldemort's snake-like fingers touching it. His whole entire body ached from the after effects of the Cruciatus Curse. His heart ached after seeing and talking to his parents for the first time in his life and he deeply regretted not saying how much he loved them when he had the chance, a chance that would never happen again. He was fully aware that he didn't have time to say that to them, but all the same, he wished he could've.

"_Kill the spare."_

Cedric. His death was entirely his fault. He couldn't get the images of Cedric's lifeless body and empty eyes out of his mind. If he, Harry, hadn't let him take the cup with him, Cedric would still be alive. Cedric deserved to win the Tournament. Cedric had a long and happy life ahead of him, but because of Harry, he no longer could fulfill it. Harry felt sickened with himself; disgusted. Here he was breathing and living, while Cedric's body was steadily rotting away. During his lifetime, he had often wished to not be Harry Potter for a while, to be normal like everybody else and not have to worry about an insane psychopath out to kill him, but right now, he had never felt this feeling quite as strongly. He could take the people staring at him and whispering even when he was right in front of them, but he could not stand being the reason another live ended, ceased to exsist.

If Harry hadn't taken his watering eyes off of his feet, he would've walked right off a cliff. He looked up in amazement. Right in front of him, as if it had been just built to relax his aggrevated mind, was a magnificent waterfall. The enormous quantity of flowing water rushed and pushed itself over the edge of the cliff, cascading down, down, down into the spacious stream underneath. A light mist extended everywhere in a 20 foot radius of the fall. The sun reflected itself in the water, creating the beautiful arc of a full rainbow. Harry stared, amazed. He had never seen a waterfall in person before. As if Mother Nature herself knew Harry would happen upon this magnificent place, Harry noticed a very large boulder that looked perfect to sit on and stare at this beauty in front of him.

As he stared at the rushing water and tried to clear his now pounding head, a traitorous thought crossed his mind: Cedric would never ever be able to enjoy this beauty. Cedric would never be able to clear his mind again. Cedric would never be able to worry again. And just like that, the full realization about that night hit him, like a ton of bricks. Cedric dead on the ground with his empty eyes, Voldemort rising out of the cauldren, having his skeleton-like finger touch his face, being tortured, being forced to duel, fighting even though he knew he'd never make it out of there alive, his parents coming to save him, Cedric's final request.

Feeling the suddent need to let it all out, Harry finally broke. Tears poured out of his eyes and sobs racked through his body. It was so painful, he couldn't breathe except for pathetic little gasps between sobs. He cried for Cedric, for Cedric's family, for his own parents, and for himself. He didn't know how long he sat on that rock and cried. Time felt like it was going painfully slowly at some points, and then it would feel as if 20 years had gone by. That's how Harry felt. Like he had been suddenly forced to age 20 years.

With tears still steadily flowing down his face and sobs still racking through his body painfully, he heard a hesitant voice call out his name, "Harry?"


End file.
